February 8 - Masada

Today’s movie is a historical drama with a scene that happens today – February 8. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

MASADA               

In the present a group of Israeli soldiers are being sworn in on the summit of Masada. When Jerusalem fell to the Romans in 70 A.D., a few Jews led by Eleazar Ben Yair escape to begin a guerilla campaign, using the desert fortress of Masada as their base. Lucius Flavius Silva, the Roman commander of the Tenth Legion, stationed in Judea is recalled to Rome. Silva survives an assassination attempt and begins to collect taxes from the populace. Eleazer leads an attack that destroys what the Romans have collected in grain taxes. Silva and Eleazer meet. Eleazer makes a series of proposals to end the war. Silva agrees with the proposals and carries them to Rome, while there is a cease-fire. However, the Emperor Vespasian refuses to agree to the proposals, since he cannot negotiate as victory has already been declared in Judea. General Marcus Quadratus and Merovius, Head Tribune who were left in command destroy the truce. They seize Jewish land to use as compensation for mustered out soldiers, who will then assign their discharge pay over to them. This leads to renewed fighting. Silva and Rubrius Gallus, a siege warfare expert return to Judea. The army marches out in the desert to Masada. Silva gets rid of Merovius and Quadratus. Silva ‘inherits’ Sheva, Merovius’s Jewish mistress. Gallus says the only way to take Masada is to build a ramp up to the top of the mountain. When Eleazer uses catapults he has hidden on top of the mountain to destroy the Roman’s camp and the work completed on the ramp, Silva enslaves hundreds of Jews to build the ramp. Out of sight of Eleazer’s men, the soldiers secretly build a 50-foot tall assault tower. Eleazer taunts the Romans by releasing water from his ample cisterns and mocking them in a long speech. One night when Silva lets his men visit the tents of the camp followers, Eleazer and his men raid the camp and secretly poison the goats used by the Romans. This caused their organs to be deformed, and the Romans believe their gods are against them. A sandstorm nearly destroys the Roman camp. When five soldiers try to kill Silva, he has them expelled into the desert instead of being executed.  On February 8, 73 A.D., the date of Purim [Part III, 49:41 to 52:29], Pomponius Falco, a representative of Vespasian arrives in the camp. An arrow kills Gallus. Falco takes command and catapults Jewish slaves at Masada in an attempt to force Eleazer to surrender, until Silva, with the support of the legion resumes command. Eleazer and Silva futilely meet again. The ramp is finished and the Romans reveal the tower, negating Eleazer’s strategy to hold them off. Eleazer has an inner wall built that absorbs the blows of the ram, but the Romans set it on fire. The wind shifts setting the tower on fire, but it soon shifts back. Eleazer persuades all the defenders to commit suicide rather than become prisoners of the Romans. The next morning, the Romans enter the fortress and find all the defenders dead. Silva comments that they have captured a mountain in a wasteland on the edge of a poisoned sea. We return to the swearing ceremony in where the defense of Masada has become a source of inspiration for Israel.

A very good, if long historical drama. It is to be commended for following the actual story. Of course, the specific dialogue and characterizations are all fictional, but they feel accurate.

At Part III 36:46 we are told it is Purim, the date of which in 73 A.D. or the Hebrew year 3833, as per http://www.hebcal.com/converter/?hd=15&hm=Adar1&hy=3833&h2g=1,  was on February 8^th.

Producer - Richard Irving

Director - Boris Sagal

Awards – This movie won the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series (Warner) and the Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Limited Series or a Special (Dramatic Underscore in Part II) Emmy Awards. It was also nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special (O’Toole and Strauss), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited series (Quayle), Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or a Special, Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or a Special, Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Limited Series or a Special (Dramatic Underscore in Part IV), Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, Outstanding Achievement in Makeup and Outstanding Film Editing for a Limited Series or a Special at the 33^rd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Screenplay - Joel Oliansky

Runtime - 6 hours 34 minutes

Released – April 5, 1981

Starring –

Peter O'Toole as Lucius Flavius Silva

Peter Strauss as Eleazar Ben Yair

Barbara Carrera as Sheva

Anthony Quayle as Rubrius Gallus

David Warner as Pomponius Falco

Nigel Davenport as Mucianus

Timothy West as Emperor Vespasian

George Innes as Titus

Giulia Pagano as Miriam

Clive Francis as Attius

Warren Clarke as Plinius

Vernon Dobtcheff as Roman Chief Priest

Michael Elphick as Marcus Vettius Bolanus

Christopher Biggins as Claudius Albinus

Nick Brimble as Milades

Joe Sagal as Seth

Paul L. Smith as Gideon

David Opatoshu as Shimon